Ornamental leather belt and other leather article



March 6, 1934. E. 5 MIX 1,950,257

ORNAMENTAL LEATHER BELT AND OTHER LEATHER ARTICLE Filed May 16, 1932 Patented Mar. 6, 1934 UNITED STATES FATE? OFFICE ORNAMENTAL LEATHER BELT AND OTHER LEATHER ARTICLE Application May 16, 1932, Serial No. 611,733

20 Claims.

This invention relates toornamental leather belts for personal wear, or other leather articles.

One object of the invention is to provide a leather belt or other leather article with embedded materials contrasting in color with the color of the belt or other article.

Another object of the invention resides in the provision of a leather or other belt or article for personal wear provided with a plurality of depressions for the reception and retention of material contrasting in color with the color of the belt or other article.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a belt or other article of personal wear having depressions therein for the reception of in serts insertible through the open ends of the depressions and of a color contrasting with the color of the belt or other article.

It is still further designed to provide a leather or other belt or article of the nature stated, embodying among other characteristics, depressions formed through the front or outer face of the belt or other article with the depressions having undercut walls to lock or insure the retention of material at the bases of the depressions, such material preferably lying in the depressions below the outer surface of the belt or other article, and preferably of a color contrasting with the color of the belt or other article.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in the construction and novel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawing, and set forth in the claims hereto appended, it being understood that various changes in the form, proportion, and minor details of construction, within the scope of the claims, may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or sacrificing any of the advantages thereof.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 illustrates a belt for personal wear, broken away, showing the present invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged transverse sectional view onthe line 22 of Fig. 1, the illustration being exaggerated so as to fully illustrate the invention.

Fig. 3 is a view illustrating a portion of the body of a leather belt or other leather article with a sheet of paper, celluloid or the like superposed thereon and having an adhesive applied to its under face and also showing the lower portion of dies above the material.

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 showing the dies in the formed depressions.

Fig. 5 illustrates a fragmentary plan View of another form of depression and insert therein.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged sectional view on the line 66 of Fig. 5.

Fig. '7 illustrates still another form of the invention.

Referring now more particularly to the accompanying drawing, the reference character 1 in dicates a leather belt or other leather article provided with a plurality of depressions or cavities 2 having undercut Walls 3 and slightly convexed bottoms 4 and which latter may be flat, if desired.

In one embodiment of the invention, paper inserts 5, preferably in the nature of thin bristol board or the like may be inserted in the pockets and compressed therein on the bottoms 4 thereof with the edges of the inserts 5 lying in the seats 6 at the juncture of the undercut walls 3 with the bottoms '4 of the depressions. The inserts 5 are preferably of a color contrasting with the color of the leather and preferably carry an adhesive on their lower faces to aid in retaining the same in the depressions by the locking action of the undercut walls of the depressions.

In carrying out the present invention, the depressions 2 are formed preferably by a pressing or punching operation in a suitable machine and in such a manner as not to force'the displaced material of the body, incident to the formation of the depressions, beyond the opposite or rear surface of the single piece body 1. As the depressions 2 are formed there isa breaking down of the leather fibers and a consequent displacement of the fibers, which in this instance, are compressed or compacted about the respective depressions, particularly about the bases thereof as indicated in the accompanying drawing.

To provide the depressions 2 for the locking of the inserts therein, a die 7 of peculiar shape is employed and may consist of downwardly diverging sides 8 and be provided with a concaved lower end 9. The dies may be mounted for vertical movement in any suitable machine or they may be mounted for a walking movement and operate after the manner of a stepping into and out of the depressions. The operation may be accomplished step by step along the body of leather or other material, and one or more depressions formed at each step of the operation. In any event, the dies employed are of a shape to provide in leather or the like cavities or depressions of the shape and form above described, and to facilitate the formation" of the depressions and the insertion of the inserts 5 both may be accomplished simultaneously. For instance, the one piece of leather with a sheet of paper, or the like to wit, a flexible sheet material, such as thin bristol board 5, superposed thereon and the paper or the like carrying a tacky adhesive substance, such as rubber cement, may be placed in a suitable pressing or punching machine, employing a die or dies such as above described, and upon a pressing or punching action by the die or dies the aforesaid depressions 2 are formed with a simultaneous insertion of the respective insert 5, the latter being cut out of the paper sheet by the die or dies and left in its seat and taking the shape of the bottom of the depression and adhering thereto and locked in itsrespective seat 6 either by the rubber cement or by the undercut walls of the depression or both.

After the inserts have been thus placed in the depressions the undercut walls of the depressions are preferably bulged to further insure retention of the inserts in the depressions. This bulging of the side walls is shown, in the drawing, as in Fig. 2 thereof, and is accomplished by a smoothing, embossing or plating operation.

The depressions or cavities 2 may have a shape other than circular or round, as may be gathered from the form of depressions indicated by the reference character 10, wherein the form of circular depression may have a central wall 11, dividing the first circular type of depression into a semi-circular form of depression and which have the undercut walls and confine semi-circular inserts 12 preferably of a color contrasting with the color of the leather article or with one another or with the inserts 5, as may be desired for ornamental purposes. In such modification of inserts, the lower end of the die will be correspondingly formed.

Another form of depression and insert structure may be as shown in Fig. 5 of the drawing, wherein a depression 13 having undercut walls 14 may be provided with a central rib 15 terminating short of the ends of the depression and having undercut walls 16 along its sides and ends, producing a double locking of the open rectangular shaped paper or other insert 17. As in other forms of the invention, the insert 17 is preferably of a color contrasting with the color of the body of the article ornamented and the die employed will be correspondingly formed at its lower end.

Instead of using the paper type of inserts, other material may be employed, such as celluloid, and if the latter is used the same may carry an adhesive, such as rubber, cement or other tacky substance, or the celluloid sheet from which the inserts are taken at the time of forming the depressions, as previously stated, may be treated with a cellulose or other solvent or applied dry, depending upon the thickness of the celluloid. As a matter of fact, the paper, celluloid or other insert material may be applied in the depressions free of adhesive substance or solvents, if desired.

In another embodiment of the invention, if the celluloid is rendered plastic and then applied in the depressions, or when it takes its seat in the depressions, a lustrous granular substance of solid or variegated color may be sprayed or otherwise applied thereto for ornamental purposes, and it is obvious that if the concaved face of the dies are ornamented by ribs and grooves or otherwise, that the inserts may be correspondingly ornamented by-reason of the pressure of the dies on the :inserts against the bottoms of the depressions.

In all forms of the invention, the inserts or material deposited in the recesses are preferably of a color contrasting with the color of the body material and the inserts or deposited material, and particularly the edge portions thereof, lie preferably below the surface of the body material, being embedded therein, as it were, soas not to be subjected to contact. and consequent damage by extraneous elements in the wearing or use of the article ornamented in accordance with the present invention.

Whether the bottoms of the depressions are convexed or fiat and irrespective of whether an adhesive substance is associated with the paper or celluloid-like inserts, the undercut walls of the depressions are effective to maintain such inserts in the depressions, but where the inserts are rendered concave-convex, because of the convexed bottoms of depressions, the seats for the edges of the inserts are highly effective to prevent accidental displacement of the inserts whether or not an adhesive is employed.

From the foregoing it will be seen that this invention obviates the necessity of slitting the body, say for instance, a belt, to provide two thin leather strips, perforating one and then placing sheet material of another color between the thin strips and sewing the edges of the strips to confine the sheet material between the thin leather strips and that I am enabled to provide for the incorporation of the inserts without perforating the body of leather or other material and that I form the depressions through one face of the leather or other material without roughening the opposite face of the material, and I am enabled to do this without soiling finished leather or the like and without applying adhesive to the outer surface of the article for the reason that where the insert sheet material carries rubber, cement or similar adhesive, the latter sticks only where pressure is exerted and that by the dies where they impress orpunch the article to form the depressions.

It will be understood that various forms 01' designs of inserts may be deposited in similarly formed depressions in the article.

In all illustrated forms of the invention, it will be noted that the punch ismoved so that it forces its way into and through the front or outer face portion of the leather strip of the belt anda part way into the leather strip, but not all the-way therethrough, whereby as the result of the pressing operation there is formed a cavity thatis defined by the cavity back or cavity bottom portion of compressed leather that is integral with the rest of the leather of the strip and by a cut continuous marginal. edge portion which may-be referred to and defined as a cut continuous marginal peripheral confining edge portion. It will also be noted that according to the methods illustrated, each insert is preferably inserted and positioned within the cavity by and as the result of the pressing operation, that the depth of the cut peripheral edge is greater than the depth of the insert, that the shape and size of each insert is such thatthe marginal edge (or each marginal edge if there is an inner and outer marginal'edge) engages the (or a corresponding) marginal edge of the cavity, and that the marginal edge of the cavity overhangs or overlies the marginal edge of the insert.

What is claimed is:

l. A belt for personal wear comprising a single strip of leather having depressions formed therein through its outer face and of a depth less than the thickness of the leather, and inserts llll located within the depressions of a color contrasting with the color of the strip of leather, the depths of the depressions being greater than the depths of the inserts and the marginal edges of the depressions providing continuous portions that overhang the peripheral marginal edges of the inserts.

2. An article of the character described comprising a strip of leather provided with a plurality of relatively small depressions therein and flexible sheet material in said depressions of a color contrasting with the color of the leather and of a thickness less than the depth of the depressions, in which article the marginal edge portion of each depression is continuous and overhangs the marginal edge portion of the corresponding insert.

3. An article of the character described comprising a single piece of leather provided with a depression within which there is held an insert of less thickness than the depth of the depression, said depression being of a depth less than the thickness of the leather and reinforced at the back or lower portion by compacted fibers of the leather and material confined within the depression below the outer end of the depression, the shape of tr e peripheral edge portion about the depression being such that there is a peripheral section that overhangs the marginal edge of the insert.

4. An article of the character described comprising a single piece of leather provided with a depression of a depth less than the thickness of the leather and having undercut walls, and an insert in the depression, the outer face of which insert is below or behind the outer surface of the leather and of a color contrasting with the color of the leather, the arrangement of the leather about the insert being such that there is a continuous marginal edge portion that overlies the marginal edge portion of the insert for facilitating the holding of the insert in place.

5. An article of the character described cornprising a single piece of leather provided with a depression of a depth less than the thickness of the leather and having undercut walls and a slightly convexed bottom, and material of a color contrasting with the color of the leather confined within the depression by said undercut walls.

6. An article of the character described comprising a piece of leather provided with a depres sion of a depth less than the thickness of the leather and having undercut walls, and an insert contrasting with the leather and disposed in said depression through the outer open end of the latter and retained therein by a continuous undercut marginal wall that overhangs the marginal edge of the insert.

7. An article of the character described comprising a piece of leather provided with a depression of a depth less than the thickness of the leather and having undercut walls, and an insert of a color contrasting with the color of the leather disposed in said depression through the outer open end of the latter and retained therein by the undercut walls, which insert has a thickness that is less than the depth of the depression, the un dercut walls of the depression being defined so as to provide a continuous peripheral margin and being bulged adjacent the depression so as to overhang the insert and thus aid in retaining the insert in the depression.

8. An article of the character described comprising a leather belt for personal wear provided with a depression of a depth less than the thickleather and simultaneouly forcing an insert of a edge, portion that extends forwardly from the ness of the leather and having undercut walls and a slightly convexed bottom forming an annular seat at the juncture of the walls and the bottom, and an insert of a color contrasting with the color of the leather and of concaio-convex shape having its edges locked by the undercut walls in said seat.

9. An article of the character described comprising a leather belt for personal wear provided with a depression of a depth less than the thickness of the leather and having undercut walls, and an insert having on the face thereof a granular material of a variegated lustrous color, which insert is disposed in said depression and is arranged so that continuous marginal walls of the depression engage and overhang the marginal edge portion of the insert.

10. The herein described method of making leather belts for personal wear which consists in subjecting the outer surface of a leather belt to the action of a die to form a depression in the leather of a depth less than the thickness of the leather and simultaneously forcing an insert of thickness less than the depth of the depression and of a color contrasting with the color of 100 the leather into and seating and looking it on the bottom of the depression in a manner whereby the marginal edge of the depression provides a continuous marginal edge that overlies the insert.

11. The herein described method of making 105 leather belts for personal wear which consists in subjecting the outer surface of a leather belt to the action of a die to form a depression in the leather of a depth less than the thickness of the color contrasting with the color of the leather into and seating and locking it on the bottom of the depression, and finally operating on the outer surface of the belt to bulge the walls of the depression to further lock the insert in the depression by causing a continuous marginal peripheral edge about the depression to overhang the marginal edge of the insert.

12. A belt for personal wear comprising a strip of leather having a decorative insert of thin material in a cavital portion at the front portion of said leather strip, which cavital portion is defined by a thin bottom or back layer of compressed leather integral with the rest of the leather strip and by a continuous peripheral confining edge portion that extends forwardly from the thin bottom or back layer and which continuous peripheral confining edge portion engages and overlies the peripheral marginal edge portion of the decorative insert.

13. A belt for personal wear comprising a strip of leather having a decorative insert of thin ma terial in a cavital portion at the front portion of said leather strip, and which insert was positioned into the cavital portion by rearward movement through the open front face of the cavital portion, which cavital portion is defined by a thin'bottom or back layer integral with the rest of the leather strip and by a continuous marginal I thin bottom or back layer and that engages a con- 49 tinuous marginal edge of the insert, that extends forwardly beyond the continuous marginal edge of the insert, and that overlies the continuous marginal edge of the insert.

14. In the production of a belt for personal wear that comprises a strip of leather having a decorative insert in a cavital portion at the front of said leather strip, the method which comprises placing a thin sheet of decorative material against 159 the front face of said leather strip, moving a punch against the exposed face of said strip of decorative material, forcing the punch in a rearward direction in reference to thestrip of leather through the strip of decorative material to produce a decorative insert and continuing said forcing movement of the punch with the thus produced insert thereagainst into and part way through the leather strip .until the outer face of the insert that is next to the punch has passed rearwardly beyond the front face of the strip of leather, the movement of the punch being such that by said movement there is produced and left a cavity defined .bya thinback portion or cavity bottom of leather which is compressed and which is left integrally connected with the rest of the body of the strip and by a continuous peripheral edge portion that extends forwardly from said thin back portion or cavity bottom and within which the insert is seated on the cavity bottom, the leather material defining the cavity having such characteristics that upon withdrawal of the punch the continuous peripheral edge portion provides a continuous forward peripheral section that can be relied upon to provide a continuous peripheral section that overlies the marginal edge of the insert in the cavity, and applying pressure to said continuous forward peripheral section so as to cause the continuous peripheral portion to overlie the marginal edge of the insert.

' which comprises placing a thin sheet of decorative material on the outer face of said leather strip but with an interlay of adhesive material between the strips, moving a punch against the exposed or outer face of said strip of decorative material, forcing the punch in an inward direction in reference to the strip of leather through the strip of decorative material to produce a decorative insert and continuing said inward forcing movement of the punch with the resulting insert still engag- 1 ing the punch into and part way through the leather strip until the outer face of the insert has passed inwardly beyond the outer face of the strip of leather, the movement of the punch being such that by said inward movement there is produced and left a cavity defined by a thin inner portion or cavity bottom of leather which is compressed and which is left integrally connected with the rest of the body of thes'trip and by a continuous peripheral marginal edge portion that extends outwardly from said thin inner portion or cavity bottom and within which the insert is adhesively seated on the cavity bottom and is left positioned in the cavity so that the continuous peripheral marginal edge portion defining the edges of the cavity extend outwardly beyond the outer face of the insert, the leather and the cavity thus formed therein having such characteristics that upon withdrawal of the punch the continuous peripheral marginal edge portion leaves a contin- -uous outer peripheral section that can be employed as a section that overlies the marginal edge of the insert, and employing a smoothing operation to insure that said continuous outer peripheral section overlies the marginal edge of the insert.

16. In the production of a belt for personal wear that comprises a strip of leather having a decorative insert in the cavital portion at the front of said leather strip, the method which comprises the operating upon the leather strip by moving a punch toward and into the front face portion of the leather strip in a manner to produce a cavity which is defined by a thin back portion or cavity bottom of compressed leather integral with the rest of the body of the strip and by a continuous marginal peripheral edge portion that extends forwardly from said thin back portion, the moving of a decorative insert into the cavity and the positioning of said insert with the back thereof against the cavity bottom and with adhesive material between the back of the insert and the cavity bottom under conditions such that the adhesive characteristics of such material can develop for effecting adherence between the back of the insert and the leather of the strip, the continuous peripheral marginal edge of the insert being of such size and shape relative to the continuous peripheral marginal edge portion of the cavity that said marginal edge portion of the cavity engages said marginal edge portion of the insert, and when the punch is away from cavityforming position and when the insert is thus in place in the cavity the pressing of the material of the continuous peripheral marginal edge portion in a manner to effect a further displacement of the marginal edge providing material so that said marginal edge portion substantially overlies the marginal edge of the insert.

1'7. In the production of a belt for personal wear that comprises a strip of leather having a decorative insert in the cavital portion at the outer side portion of said leather strip, the method which comprises the operating upon the leather strip by moving a punch toward and into the outer face portion of the leather strip in a manner to produce a cavity which is defined by a thin inner portion or cavity bottom of compressed leather integral with the rest of the body of the strip and by a continuous marginal peripheral edge portion that extends forwardly from said thin inner portion, the moving of a decorative insert into the cavity and the positioning of said insert with the back thereof against the cavity bottom, the continuous peripheral marginal edge of the insert being of such size and shape relative to the continuous peripheral marginal edge portion of the cavity that said marginal edge portion of the cavity engages said marginal edge portion of the insert and also such that the outer portion of said marginal edge portion of the cavity extendsoutwardly beyond said marginal edge portion of the insert, and when the punch is away from cavityforming position and when the insert is thus in place in the cavity the pressing of the material in the vicinity of the continuous peripheral marginal edge portion in a manner to effect a substantial displacement of the marginal edge so that it substantially overlies the marginal edge of the insert.

18. In the production of a belt for personal wear that comprises a strip of leather having a decorative insert of thin strip material in a cavital portion at the outer face portion of said leather strip, the method which comprises forcing a punch into and part way through the leather strip so as to produce the cavity defined by a thin compressed leather inner portion or cavity back portion that is left integral with the rest of the leather in the strip and by a continuous peripheral marginal confining edge portion that extends outwardly from the cavity back portion and the placing and positioning of the flexible insert in the cavity formed as the result of the punching operation, the thereafter removing the punch, and the subsequently applying pressure to the outer face of the leather strip to impart thereto the desired surface appearance, the depth of which continuous peripheral marginal confining edge portion being greater than that of the marginal edge portion of the flexible insert and the size and shape of the peripheral edge portion of the cavity relative to the marginal edge portion of the flexible insert being such that the marginal edge portion of the cavity engages the marginal edge portion of the insert and such that when the punch is away from the cavity and after the application of said pressure to the outer face of the leather strip the outer peripheral edge portion defining the cavity overlies the marginal edge portion of the insert thus furthering the holding of the insert in place.

19. In the production of a belt according to the claim last preceding in which after the punch has been removed from the cavity and at a time when the insert is positioned within the cavity there is effected a further displacement by pressure applied to the marginal edge portion of the cavity in a manner to effect a substantial overhanging of the marginal outer edge portion of the cavity in respect to the marginal edge of the insert.

20. In the production of a belt for personal wear that comprises a strip of leather having a decorative insert in a cavity at the front face portion thereof, the method which comprises forcing a punch into the leather strip so as to produce a cavity defined by a compressed leather cavity back portion that is left integral with the rest of the leather in the strip and by a resulting cut continuous peripheral confining edge portion that extends forwardly from the cavity back portion, moving an insert and the positioning of the insert into the cavity thus produced and at a time when the insert is positioned within the cavity and at a time after which the punch has been removed from the cavity within which the insert is positioned the applying of pressure to the front face portion of the strip of leather in order to impart a desired finish to the face of the strip of leather and in order to insure that the marginal edge portion of the cavity substantially overlies the insert, the depth of which forwardly extending edge portion is greater than that of the marginal edge portion of the insert and the size and shape of which marginal edge portion of the cavity relative to the marginal edge portion of the insert is such that said marginal edge portion of the cavity engages and has a continuous peripheral portion that substantially overlies the marginal edge of the insert in the resulting structure.

EDWIN S. MIX. 

